A Double(s) Quandary

Harkening back to the days of the “Ask Otto” articles in the Racquetball Magazine, I wanted to address a few questions I have received and read on various social media platforms.

Serves that hit your partner in doubles

Over the summer, I read an interesting back-and-forth discussion on Facebook about what happens if a player hits his or her partner in a doubles match. Before getting to the rules themselves, let’s set up the scenario. Suppose Erika and Adam Manilla are playing doubles. Erika is serving a first serve, and Adam is properly standing in the Service Box. Remembering the time Adam stole her candy when they were kids and never got into trouble, Erika hits a serve that “accidentally” hits Adam. At the time he got hit, Adam had one foot in the Service Box, and the other foot in the air, outside of the Service Box.

Team USA

What’s the call??

The answer is found by looking at both Rules 4.3(b) and 4.4(b). Rule 4.3(b) provides that a “served ball that hits the non-serving partner while that partner is in the Service Box results in a fault serve.” As we know, a fault serve results in a second serve (unless the fault occurs during a second serve, in which case the result is a handout or side out, as the case may be). Further, Rule 4.4(b) provides that a “served ball that hits the non-serving doubles partner, while any part of the body or equipment is touching the floor outside of the Doubles Box, results in a loss of serve.”

The key words in Rule 4.4(b) are “while any part of the body or equipment is touching the floor.” In my hypothetical in which Adam has one foot inside the Service Box and the other in the air, the result is a fault serve. If Adam’s foot—or any part of Adam’s body or any equipment he is holding—is touching the floor outside of the Service Box when Erika’s serve hits Adam, the result is an out serve resulting in an automatic handout or side out.

You may have noticed that I use the term “Service Box” whereas Rule 4.4(b) uses the term “Doubles Box.” This is a discrepancy in the rules:  Rule 2.1(b)(4) clearly identifies the two boxes in which non-serving partners should stand as “Service Boxes.”

Switching things up, let’s say that Sam Bredenbeck and Lexi York are playing mixed doubles together as a recently engaged couple.

First, CONGRATULATIONS! Here’s wishing you a peaceful and happy life together!

Second, if Lexi is serving a first serve and Sam is standing in the Service Box, can he legally stand with one foot on the wall and one foot on the ground?

The answer is no. Under Rule 4.2(b), a non-serving partner in doubles must stand “erect with their back facing the side wall and with both feet flat on the floor and within the Service Box from the moment the server begins the service motion until the server hits the ball.” This means that from the point when Lexi begins her service motion to the point where Lexi hits the ball, Sam must have both feet on the floor within the Service Box. If Sam has one foot on the floor and the other against the side wall at the time Lexi begins her service motion, the referee should call a foot fault—resulting in a second serve and, no doubt, a scolding from Lexi.

Third, must Lexi and Sam serve in the same order throughout the game?

The answer is no. Under Rule 4.2(a), “either partner can serve first each time the team steps in to serve.” This means that Lexi and Sam may alternate who serves first and second throughout the game without penalty. The rules specify that the “referee must make certain that neither partner is allowed to serve again after that partner has previously lost a rally while the team is serving.”

USA Racquetball

One last question

Recently, Terry Albright emailed me about the August Rules Rule! article discussing the need to be honest in self-refereed games. In that article, I discussed a situation when my good friend Stephen Deves and I were playing a game and we disagreed about a skip ball (if you recall, I believed my shot skipped, Stephen thought my shot was good). Terry asked what the result of that disagreement was, and more broadly, what should happen if both players in a self-refereed game have an honest disagreement?

First, I remember what happened in my game with Stephen. After some back and forth, I eventually convinced Stephen that my shot skipped and the result should be a side out.

Second, Rule D.2 suggests that in situations where both players have honest disagreements, the rally should be replayed. However, perhaps the rules should go into even more detail about this point. Remember, any USA Racquetball member who wants to see changes or amendments to the rules can contact me with proposals to be considered by the Rules Committee . . .

National Rules Commissioner Joshua Jones welcomes questions from members and will respond timely along with occasionally featuring a few in USA Racquetball’s Serving Up the News. Write to Josh at rulescommissioner@usaracquetball.com, and you may see your question in a future issue of this newsletter!